Spaten's Optimator doppelbock looks the part: a brief medium off-white creamy head atop a nice deep brown body. On the nose it is very sweet and malty: lots of nice caramel with lesser amounts of dark toffee and hints of molasses. The palate follows the nose: lightly roasted malt notes, largely caramel and toffee again, mostly balanced by a bit of hoppy bitterness but still a bit sweet; alcohol has a significant presence on the palate as well. The finish is malty and a bit sweet, followed by a slight bitterness; both the malt flavors and the bitterness linger a bit. Mouthfeel matches the medium body; the texture is creamy with a prickly feel from some very assertive carbonation. Pretty smooth-drinking for the ABV. (723 characters)

T: A somewhat indistinct dark maltiness interplays dark fruitswith . The finish is pretty strange, a weird sour funkiness gives way to a very flat maltiness before it disappears. Again, not an overly pleasant detail.

M: Medium body without too much carbonation. Pretty nice.

O: Pretty good. If I had never had the other major german doppelbocks I'd hold this in higher regard, but as it stands, this lies near the bottom of that list. (629 characters)

Almost black pour with lite tan head; good lace. Sweet prune nose. Pruney malty flavors. Medium lite mouthfeel and crisp. I liked that I could taste a little alcohol in this dopplebock. (185 characters)

This german Dock iis very honest, very transparent and very tasty. It feels lighter than others of the same category, despite its more than 7 degrees of alcohol. Very refreshing, perfect for anytime. (199 characters)

L: crystal clear amber, almost scarlet red; lots of bubbles flying up middle of column, leaving a good skin and huge collar; head is not big, maybe 1/3 to 1/2-inch tall of beige/tan foam; no stick or lace

T: very fruity and light ... like a toasted English pale ale; some earthy/dirt hops ... in fact, the hops really chew into the sweetness; slight bit of medicinal alcohol flavor; hint of skunk from the green bottle

F: very light, crisp ... full from the carbonation

O: pretty easy-drinking doppelbock, full of lighter dark-malt flavors -- only as it warms does it start to take on a raisin flavor ... until then, it's more fig and even peach. (796 characters)

Good but not great. Subtle hints of roasted malt on the nose with a smooth flavor and body with a creamy finish. So smooth in fact that you will not notice the slighty elevated ABV, I will definitely have it again. (214 characters)

Pours a dark brown. I like the flat coke analogy. Head dissipates. Light lacing. Tastes of sweet delicious malty goodness with a hint of brown sugar and caramel. Incredibly smooth and very drinkable. Thankful I decided to pick up this as a throw in on a pick your own sixer so that I could celebrate the week's end today. Takes me back to Germany. (354 characters)

One of the best doppelbocks in the world. Molasses and nice dark bread define this beer. A beautiful fruity finish. One of the best lagers in the world and also the best beers in this world. (190 characters)

This has been my #2 mainstay of late. Overall, really like the flavor, which has a nice sweetness buried in the background. As a stout/porter fan, it's a nice deviation, without totally straying from the things I enjoy about that style. As others have stated, I find it does hit me a little hard as well, particular when consumed without food. I do very occasionally get a little bit of a metallic note in the mix --that's a little off-putting--but otherwise like the flavor. I also find that I prefer it throughly chilled and don't let it sit before drinking. (566 characters)

Lots of nostalgia with this brew.. along with Delirium Tremens, this was my go-to beer at the local world-of-beer when I turned 21 back in 2011. Purchased the single bottle at Total Wine just for this review. Pours a cola brown, lots of bubbles, quickly fading head. Not as hoppy as I remember from draft.. notes of brown sugar malts, sweet potato in the nose. Taste: what a malt bomb; not what I remember at all (though, in my defense, I was probably quite inebriated and with this beer's well-masked abv, it's no wonder I loved it), the malts just over-power any inkling of alcohol, roasted caramel at the finish. Smooth, crisp, goes down real smooth. I remember when 7.6% abv was considered one of the manly beers, which is no doubt, the real reason why I drank it. Anywho, even though I love my IIPAs these days, Spaten and their Optimator will always have it's place. 8/10 (877 characters)

One of my favorite Doppelbocks from my time spent in Bavaria. Poured into a glass the first thing noticeable is the strong brown color with hints of Amber followed by a nice fruity aroma and nice brown head with lite lacing. Optimator is a very malty Doppelbock with great caramel and fruity flavors. It drinks easy and goes great with meals or by itself. It drinks so easy that the 7.60% ABV will sneak up on you before you know it. (434 characters)

Optimator pours a dark brown color with a small lacing head. There is a sourish, grainish aroma. The taste has a sharp malt bite to it, grianish. A bit hard to drink. Overall its the worst, its a tad hard to drink, grainy. (226 characters)

Poured into an over sized wine glass Optimator is a delicious malty Doppel Bock with Caramel and toasted malt notes. Definitely a cooler weather brew. Not as good as Paulaner Salvator Double Bock though!Still can't go wrong with Optimator! Why don't any American or Californian's brew a Bock or Doppel Bock ? All the so called "Micro Breweries" think the more Hops the better. Adding more Horsepower to a car doesn't necessarily make it better unless you add bigger brakes, suspension etc...I don't drink those "New Jack" beers that taste like my Dad made it at home. Unless I'm drinking his. (601 characters)

Poured into New Glarus Pilsener. Pours a dark brown color with a big foamy, very light brown head. Recedes quickly. Leaves a small ring of lacing around the edges.

Aroma is of dark fruits and lightly roasted malts. Molasses. A good deal of sweetness.

Taste is roasted chocolate malts, a bit of molasses, and dark fruits led by fig and dark cherry. Light hops. A small amount of bitterness on the finish. THe chocolate is very smooth a silky, a very pleasant touch on the tongue with results in some excellent drinkability.

Medium bodied. Low carbonation. Goes down very smooth. Drank this one in about 15 minutes, and normally I take 30+.

Overall, and excellent example of a doppelbock. Distinct flavors and easy drinking make this an ideal introductory doppelbock (769 characters)

A: Clear dark brown, almost black. Small lacing of tan head.S: Strong smell of caramel malt, sweetness, toffee, cereal grains, and a plum/prune scent.T: Sweet, yet strong malts akin to a porter show up first, followed by a bran cereal taste. Minimal hop taste. Not as much fruit in the taste. Finishes with an alcoholic bite at the end.M: Medium to heavy. Malts coat your tongue at the end.O: Not a bad doppelbock. Will have to try more to compare. (494 characters)

A: Very dark, almost completely blackS: Like a thick malt with traces of hops, very earthyT: A bit bitter as the hops would suggest, very dark and richM: Medium amount of carbonationO: It's an okay beer, not a go to beer, but one that I would have on occasion (263 characters)

Dark color. Very little head.The smell from the bottle hints of American Pilsener - not a good thing IMO.Much richer mouthfeel than one would guess from the absence of head. I dig it.Nice mild, malty flavor. It's almost as if they had a milk stout in mind when they devised the recipe.Not a bad beer at all. It's not Celebrator, but it's very drinkable. (357 characters)

A – Dark amber to medium brown, with some slightly red highlights in the narrow part of the glass. A finger of khaki foam and bubbles, with fairly low retention. Good clarity.

S – Roasty, chocolate malt, very well-baked brown bread. Similar to a Munich dunkel. Some earthy hop aroma. A good amount of malty sweetness is accented as the beer warms.

T – Dark, bready malt flavor, like chewing on moist bread crust. Some chocolate, caramel, not as sweet as it seemed on the nose. Again, earthy hops, slightly herbal/medicinal, and a moderate level of hop bitterness providing a strong backbone.

M – Medium-low carbonation, and both roasty malt and hop bitterness are the main things present. Not as sweet as I would expect based on the aroma profile. No warmth in spite of slightly higher ABV, though a bit thinner than a dunkel or regular bock.

O – Some very nice layering of aromas and flavor, with nothing jumping out but everything melding into a highly drinkable, higher alcohol-brew. This one could sneak up on you. A well-made beer. (1,109 characters)